Ongoing flight disruptions at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) persisted on Monday afternoon, causing further inconvenience for passengers using the airport.
The hub, which is the 14th busiest in the United States, has been mired in operational challenges over the past week due to air traffic controller staffing shortages and equipment outages.
After a
weekend of hundreds of flight delays
and cancellations, the disruptions continued into the work week. As of 2:30 p.m. Monday, Newark had at least 275 delays and 151 cancellations, according to FlightAware’s tracker. Flights scheduled to fly into Newark were facing four-hour delays at their airports of origin.
An advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated late Monday morning: “Owing to INSUFFICIENT STAFF AND LOW CLOUD BASES, a Traffic Management Program has been implemented for aircraft approaching Newark International Airport in Newark, NJ (EWR).” The region around New York and New Jersey experienced OVERCAST SKIES, which aviators refer to as low ceilings, adding another layer of complexity to air traffic management. According to the FAA, this situation resulted in approximately three-hour-and-fifty-nine-minute delays for incoming flights on average.
Travel advisors are working to make their clients aware of the potential issues at the New Jersey hub. Clients with layovers at Newark are a particular concern, says Brett Snyder of
Cranky Concierge
. “We always proactively monitor flights at Cranky Concierge, but we are actively flagging Newark flights to make sure there’s a comfort level with connecting times,” Snyder says. “We are also keeping an eye open for possible reaccommodation options well in advance. Then we are quick to respond and help talk people through what’s happening if they have concerns.”
The situation at Newark reached a boiling point on Friday, when United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the carrier would be forced to cancel 35 round-trip flights per day out of Newark—about 10% of its schedule from the airport—for the foreseeable future. “It’s disappointing to make further cuts to an already reduced schedule at Newark, but since there is no way to resolve the near-term structural FAA staffing issues, we feel like there is no other choice in order to protect our customers,” Kirby said in a release on May 2. Newark is a major operational hub for United., and Kirby’s comments raised safety issues on
whether Newark was safe
for travelers.
Kirby stated that the disruption began at the start of last week when “the technology used by FAA air traffic controllers to oversee planes arriving and departing from Newark Airport malfunctioned multiple times,” leading to numerous redirected flights, hundreds of delays and cancellations, and most critically, thousands of travelers experiencing disrupted plans. Additionally, Kirby mentioned that “more than 20 percent of the FAA controllers at EWR left their posts.”
Advisors emphasize that flexibility is key for travelers in such scenarios. “The circumstances surrounding Newark are highly unpredictable, making passengers feel uneasy; however, we’re striving to address their queries and keep a close eye on flight statuses,” explains Brett Snyder from Cranky Concierge. “United reducing operations might alleviate some delay issues shortly, yet predicting outcomes remains challenging due to variations in air traffic control personnel.”
Snyder mentions that his group is working hard to anticipate developments and assist passengers with rescheduling their trips whenever necessary. “Our team continuously monitors potential airline travel exemptions that could enable modifications before any issues occur,” he explains. “If such opportunities arise, we inform our patrons that they can modify their bookings at no extra cost if alternative options using different hubs are accessible.”
United
has a travel waiver
This location aims to cater to disruptions in Newark. Passengers with bookings to or from Newark—as well as JFK and LaGuardia—up until May 5 have the option to alter their plans for trips occurring before May 12 without facing any change fees or fare adjustments.
At minimum, another U.S. airline, JetBlue,
has a travel waiver
In locations where travelers on routes heading towards the Northeast can modify their trip arrangements, this flexibility is attributed to possible thunderstorms forecast for the region. Nevertheless, the adjustment policy extends to those flying into or out of Newark until Monday, May 5th; affected passengers may then rearrange their journeys up till Thursday, May 8th.
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